Socket for light tubes



April 30, 1940.

T. A. CARTER, JR 2.198.903

SOCKET FOR LIGHT TUBES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 17, 1959 \nvenfov Q2 l Thomg A. Qgfl'enu;

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April 1940- T. A. CARTER,- JR 2.198.903

SOCKET FOR LIGHT TUBES Filed April 17, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i K LThoEaLs ACALXWL 29-. 51 g) no AHhinegg PM... A 30, 1940 I 2,198,903

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOCKET FOR LIGHT TUBES Thomas A. Carter, Jr., Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to Grand Rapids Store Equipment Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application April 17, 1939, Serial No. 268,251 Claims. (Cl. 173-32 8) This invention relates to light sockets which, a fiat plate 2 extending lengthwise oi the repreferably, are used in pairs, one of the sockets flector and having a flange at one side through spaced from the other, and between which a tubuwhich screws 3 may be inserted for securing the lar lighting bulb is disposed, being detachably plate in position within the reflector; and of 5 held at each end in a socket- The sockets are course the screws, if desired, may be thence driven 5 particularly useful in connection with fluorescent into an upper rail of a show case for securing li hti t bes, the reflector in horizontal position with its open This invention is more particularly directed side directed interiorly into the show case. Beto sockets for detachably holding the opposite tween the bottom of the reflector and said plate ends of a fluorescent lighting tube within a rethe wiring for the lights is concealed. 10 fiector, the tube being located within a reflector The tubular fluorescent lighting tube is carried which is generally of a trough shape and near at each end by a socket of my invention. The the'botto-m of the trough. With this construcsocket includes a body 4 which at one end has tion the tube may be readily connected with the a projecting portion 5. This body is of a suitsockets which carry the same, but the disconable electro non-conducting or insulating mate- 1 nection thereof from the sockets is hampered berial such as Bakelite, porcelain or any other suitcause of the position of the tube within the reable material. At its lower side and adjacent one flector. My invention includes as a part thereof end is a projecting transverse rib 6, spaced from a very simple, yet effective means for detaching which is a shorter projecting rib l, the two havthe tube independently at each end from the 1 ing between them a connecting rib 8 (Fig. 4), all 20 sockets which carry it, one at each end of the tube-* integral with the body of the socket. To a side An understanding of the invention may be of the rib I is a threaded opening 9 into which had from the following description, taken in cona screw I0 may be screwed after passing through nection with the accompanying drawings, in the plate 2, as in Fig. 7. The plate 2 will be pro- 28 which: 1 vided with a suitable opening through which the Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showribs 6 and I may extend, as in Figs. 7 and 8, to ing a fluorescent lighting tube mounted within a locate and hold the socket in place on the plate reflector by means of the sockets of my invention. in connection with the securing screw I0.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section Two contacting and holding members, each 30 through the reflector and side elevation of the made from sheet metal, are provided. At one 30 lighting tube and the sockets which carryit. end is a substantially square base II with a Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the tube section I2 turned therefrom at right angles, from and reflector. which at one end an arm l3 projects for a dis- Fig.4is an enlarged perspective view of asocket tance, integral with the section I2 and bent to made in accordance with my invention. lie at an acute angle to the plane thereof. At 35 Fig. 5 is an end elevation thereof. the free end of the arm I3 is an arm l4 extending Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the socket at right angles, the free portion of which is bent on a plane a short distance back of the front of angularly as at l5, thence back again at l6, and the socket, shown in Fig. 5. ,then again in the same direction as the part l '40 Fig. '7 is a vertical section substantially on the IS, as at H, the part I! furnishing a terminal 40 plane of line 1-1 of Fig. 6, looking in the dilip for the contact. The body of the socket is rections indicated by the arrows. provided with suitable grooves and upwardly ex- Fig. 8 is a substantially central longitudinal tending passages 18, back of what may be called vertical section through the socket. the front face of the socket, which passages at Fig.9is an under plan view thereof, and their outer portions join with slots 19, one at Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the spring either side of the central longitudinal plane of the tube retaining contacts, two of which are used in socket, shown in Fig. 5; and beyond the bottoms each socket construction. of which slots I9, the terminal lips I! and the Like reference characters refer to like parts in annular portions l6 connected therewith extend. the different figures of the drawings. Metal sleeves 2| are molded and permanently 50 The reflector I generally of a channel shape secured into the body 4 and are shouldered at in cross section, is of any desired length, whereby their outer ends and pass through holes in the it may carry and support one or more of the contact members II and are riveted to retain the fluorescent lighting tubes. Between the sides of contact members in place and receive the screws the reflector and adjacent the bottom thereof is 20. The wires 23 which carry electric current 5 are bared by removing the insulation at the proper points in the length thereof, and such bared portions are clamped between the heads of the screws and the base members ll of the contacts.

Centrally of and a short distance back of the front face of the body a passage is made for a rod 24, which at one end has an outwardly projecting foot 25, there being a slot a in the body whereby the rod 24 may be moved longitudinally a short distance by grasping the outer head or knob 26 thereof. In its innermost position the foot 25 comes to the plate 2, as in Fig. 8.

The fluorescent lighting tube 21 is of the regular and normal construction, having metallic caps 28, one at each end, from each of which t In pins 2Q extend outward. The slots l9 are so located that the pins 29 may enter and move lengthwise thereof, engaging against the terminal lip portion 17 to spring the free end portions of the contacts to one side until the corners where the parts it and i? join together are passed, whereupon the pins 29 reach the bottoms of the slots iii and are yieldingly retained by the sections it coming partially thereover, as shown in Fig. 5. The lighting tubesmay be very readily applied to the sockets by merely putting said end pins 29 in the slots l9 and pushing them inwardly until the bottoms of the slots i9 are reached, whereupon the free ends of the sheet metal contacts serve as yielding keepers to hold the tube in and between the two sockets carrying the same.

When thus located the tube at its sides is relatively close to the adjacent portions of the reilector so that it is not easy to grasp the tube itself to remove it. But by an outward pull upon the heads 26 of the rods 2 the foot members 2% engage against the ends 28 of the light tube and cause the pins 29 to move outwardly in the slots l9, disengaging from the contacts which yield upon the application of relatively light pulling force upon the rods 24.

The construction described is very practical, useful and effective. With it the elongated light ing tubes may be readily attached in place for use, and may be removed for replacement whenever necessary in a particularly simple manner.

. The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within the scope of said claims.

I claim:

1. A lighting socket of the class described comprising, a body, slots in one face of said body to receive contact pins on a lamp, contact means in said slots to releasably hold the lamp therein, and a manually accessible substantially L-shaped pin slidably mounted in said body and movable longitudinally of said slots having one arm adjacent an end of the lamp for ejecting said lamp therefrom.

2. A lighting socket of the class described comprising, a body, slots in one face thereof to receive contact pins on a lamp, contact means to releasably hold a lamp in said slots, and a rod slidably mounted in said body longitudinally of said slots having one end extending therebeyond and a lateral projection on the other end of said rod extending beyond said body adjacent an end ofthe lamp whereby a sliding movement of said rod will eject the lamp from the socket by means of said projection. r

3. A lighting socket of the class described comprising, a body having a base side, a flat face perpendicular thereto, said body having slots at said face extending inwardly into said body and from the outer part of the body for a distance toward the base side of the socket, passages communicating with said slots and reaching said base, keepers in said body to engage pins entering said slots, other slots having said keepers therein, and a rod slidably mounted on said body a short distance within the flat face thereof and between the last named slots, said rod at its inner end'having an outwardly extending projection, and the body for a short distance outwardly from said projection being slotted, whereby the rod and said projection may be drawn outwardly a limited distance.

4. A lighting socket adapted to receive a pair of pins projecting from an end of a fluorescent lighting tube comprising, a body having slots at a face thereof for the reception of said pins, spring actuated keeper contacts mounted on and within the body, each having a free end portion extending into a slot over which the pins may ride to reach the inner closed ends of the slots and be yieldingly retained by said keeper contacts after having reached the inner ends of said slots, and elongated means mounted on the socket adapted to be manually moved longitudinal in a straight line outwardly, said means having a projection at its inner end to engage against a tube and move the pins thereon outwardly to disengage them from said keeper contacts.

5. A'socket for light tubes comprising, a body having a front face, slots in said face open at their outer ends adapted to receive pins on the end of the .tube, spring retaining contacts mounted within said body to engage with the pins when they are moved inwardly to the inner ends of the slots, and a manually accessible slidable rod mounted on said body having a lateral projection at its inner end located adjacent an end of the tube, whereby on outward movement of the rod the pins on the end of the tube may be disengaged from said contacts, as specified.

THOMAS A. CARTER, JR. 

